Considering my FIRST jeep.

Currently have a Tacoma zero issues whatsoever, 100%reliable, really have no reason to get rid of it BUT I recently had a Jeep wrangler as a rental vehicle and found I liked it. (first time driving one)

So, any years 07-17 that are better/worse reliability & issue wise and why? Reliability before anything is my #1 concern.. Anything to visually look for when finding "the perfect jeep"

Thank You

 

Fiesta, welcome to Jeeps.net.

I would look at a 2014+
The 2007-2011 models had the 3.8 liter minivan engine and it is known to use oil.
The 2012-2013 models had the new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 however there was an issue with the left cylinder head and the warranty on it was extended to 10yrs/150K miles. A lot of them have likely been fixed by now and Chrysler says only a small number of vehicles were affected however quite a few in the local group had the issue.
The 2014+ models also have the Pentastar V6 however I have not heard of any major issues with them, at least that I can recall.
You may be able to get a good deal on a 2018 JK that is still on the dealer's lot since the 2018 JL is also out.

Also if you are interested feel free to check out the Jeep Talk Show, it's a podcast about Jeeps.

 

My understanding on this is that the "sand casting" method was not through enough to mold the cylinder head correctly, over time the left over sand which remain in the head, is blown away etc, which in the end would leave holes though out that area of the cylinder head thus causing a cooling issue.

Currently this is a buyers market, as those whom had older jeeps, could have traded them in for the new JL. Be warned though as many of these jeepers would remove their upgrades and attempt to return the modified jeep wrangler back to its original condition or set up. In the end, One could have a load of head aches on their hands if they don't have someone look this vehicle over throughly.

 

Welcome! Deals abound for the last of the new JKs....took a ten+ year run and I think they finally got some good ones.

 

Welcome to the forum. I know we have several Toyo owners here. Hey....we all have our faults..
Best advice I can give. Take your time. Some very good advice given up top here. Find what you like. Saying is. If you don't look nack at it when you walk away. You bought the wrong Jeep. And.....Jeeps are not bought. They are built. Good luck dude.

 

I had my 2016 Tacoma Double Cab Off Road v6 auto bought back through Ohio's Lemon Law. I bought a new (left over) 2017 JKU this April (2018).

I originally planned to get a JLU, had a Punk'n Sahara ($48k) all spec'd out to order but the build time was 8 to 10 weeks which left me stranded for too long. So I looked at some $52k Rubicons with leather and all that.

Eventually, I found a customer ordered Punk'n Sport that was cancelled (but was already built). I didn't like the order packages on it, and for $43k I wasn't willing to compromise. Also, I had my 7 year old with me - I didn't like the quality/design of the exterior door handles as my kid was pulling them out and down, flexing the plastic. As I was talking to the salesman about Fiat retooling the Jeep plant in Toledo and the JL being a first year product (as my 2016 Tacoma being first year of the 3rd Gen) I decided against buying a JL. Surprising, the salesman agreed with me.

Now, there were still plenty of 2018 JKs still on this lot (in April) and tons still available online - I'm not sure if that is till the case now. But I eventually stumbled on the leftover 2017 JKU Sport. $38,400 sticker - got it for $33,500 (approx.). Not the first choice of color or options but I got, what I think was a good compromise for the price.

I am fickle about my cars, I don't keep them long, I see the new model and feel oppressed. But I have yet to feel that way about my JKU. I do notice the lack of tech that FCA left out of the JK lineup. No proximity key. Sounds dumb, but my last six cars had that, (2012 LEAF, 2012 Flex, 2014 F150, 2014 MKT, 2015 Fusion, 2016 Tacoma) and you really get used to it. No back-up camera either, not a big deal but you get used to the little things. My wife can't get used to not having the Blind Spot Monitors when she drives the Jeep. It freaks her out but not a big deal for me.

So @fiesta346, like others have noted, the 2012 3.6 engine is much improved over the earlier 3.7 and that was good info that @Prerunner1982 gave us on the 2014+ variant. And you have my take on my JK vs. JL purchase. Just remember, as you know with your Tacoma, the resale value of Wranglers is great - you won't get too screwed - unless like @TrailBadger said, you unknowingly buy a modded up one that has been abused and returned to stock condition.

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

I love my 2017 jku. I have had it exactly one year and it has almost 30k miles on it now and have had no problems. I will add that I am not the easiest on it. We wheel pretty heavily with it and it has held up to the abuse I put it threw. I will warn you if you plan on lifting it with bigger tires the 3.6 is gutless and I would recommend regearing it. I am in the process of looking for a second little older jku and I have found that it is relatively easy to see if someone has tried to reverse there mods and put it back to stock. They did change the interior in 2011 and I think the 07 to 10 interior feels cheaper that the 11 to 18. Good luck

 

This is the JEEP I am considering....

www.townandcountryligonier.com/used/Jeep/2015-Jeep-Wrangler+Unlimited-0637ddea0a0e0a6b38171900f20cdb0b.htm?searchDepth=4:4

 

Looks like it had pretty regular oil changes.

 

where you seeing that I was unable to use the feature on the site to check the history .

 

Another stupid question for you guys. If I put roof racks on to haul a kayak will they stay if hard top is removed or are they connected to roof itself?

 

Download the file that I attached to that reply.

 

Depends if you mount the racks to the hard top or go with one that has side poles that mount to the body like this:

 

Avoid "That" jeep like it's the plague.. 50,000 miles on a well used even abused wrangler isn't worth it. The mark up is purely hype based as that dealership is attempting to capitalize on the wrangler's popularity.

 

I would say the price they are asking isn’t a bad price. It looks like it hasn’t been abused. That’s about the going price on the year with the miles in my area.

 

50k miles too many for a used Jeep?

 

I don’t plan on getting rid of mine when it hits 50k. Some of us don’t trade them off every other day. We find the one we like and keep it for a wile.

 

Didn’t think 50k was outrageous miles at all but that post made me double think myself

 

28K for a used/abused JK unlimited is a bit much considering we paid 24,000 for a brand new special order 2017 unlimited. keep looking, you'll find a better deal or grab one of us who knows what to looks for to help you look the jeep over in person.